Web-fed rotary printing machines frequently include a folding former, or folding triangle, in which the web is guided over a folding funnel or folding triangle after having passed the last printing station in order to generate a longitudinal fold. The web is then cut transversely toward the longitudinal direction. A first transverse fold can then be made across the severed sheets, or packages of sheets if a plurality of webs have been superimposed, for example by using a folding flap or blade cylinder. This first transverse fold becomes the second overall fold. A third fold, if required, can be generated by a folding blade. To make the third fold, it is necessary to slow the already folded sheets, and to properly orient the folded sheets. This causes problems in high-speed printing machines, and the deceleration, and slowing or braking of the sheets, or packages of sheets, limits the maximum speed with which the printing machine can operate. This speed may be below that of which the printing machine is capable.
It has previously been proposed, see German Pat. Nos. 830344 and 919711, to rotate sheet-like folded units by use of inclined transport elements, such as inclined transport belts or tapes and to thus obtain a change in direction of the product to be transported. Such change in direction, however, always involved braking, or reduction of transport speed. Rotation of the product in that manner, further, is not possible to achieve change of the orientation of the leading edge of the printed sheets or elements, as desired, and particularly change of orientation of the leading edge of the printing sheets by rotation about 90.degree..